The present invention relates to a new capping mechanism for jars for dispensing liquids from the jar. The jars in particular are colloquially called mason jars, but other jars that are not considered to be mason jars are also within the scope of the invention.
It is well known in the bar and restaurant business to remove the standard screw caps from bottles of liquor and replace them with a pour spout that very often is a metering pour spout. This type of cap on the bottle allows the contents of the bottle to be maintained pure by preventing the ingress of contaminants, but also allows for easy dispensing when a customer asks for a drink to be mixed. Such dispensing spouts are very well known and are available from a number of vendors such as Winware (based in China), drinker.com and barsupplies.com. The dispensers are available in a number of different configurations including an unlimited pouring capability, so that the liquor continues to pour out of the spout as long as the bottle is tilted. Others provide a measured dispensation, stopping the flow after the premeasured amount flows. For example, barsupplies.com provides premeasured amounts of ¾ ounce, 1 ounce, 1¼ ounce, 1½ ounce and 2 ounces. Spouts like these are used in connection with this invention.
However, there has become popular a new form of liquor emulating the well known moonshine liquor. The new liquor is sold legally in jars with large caps (i.e. mason jars) to maintain the customer's impression of moonshine. Bars selling this sort of liquor want to continue the “moonshine” theme by displaying the jar in its original packaging so that customers recognize that they are getting the genuine product. However, this poses a problem in dispensing from the jars, and particularly, in dispensing measured pours. Such mason jars are difficult to pour from without spillage, and do not provide for measured pours.